This article is about the original classic version of Death Battle's 25th episode. You may be looking for the publicly-stated-to-be-irrelevant sequel to Goku VS Superman or the proper re-examination.
- —Tagline
Goku VS Superman, retroactively titled Goku VS Superman 1 (2013) The Original Classic, is the 25th episode and Season 1 Finale of Death Battle, featuring Son Goku from the Dragon Ball series and Superman from DC Comics in a battle between world-famous alien heroes. Goku was voiced by Lawrence Simpson and Superman was voiced by Michael Agrusso.
Interlude
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The regular theme fades...
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Goku vs Superman - Battle by Blake Robinson
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Wiz: Born to dying races and sent to brave new worlds, these two alien saviors are legendary.
Boomstick: And everybody wants to know who would kick who's ass in a fight. And I mean everyone!
Wiz: Goku, the tenacious Super Saiyan.
Boomstick: And Superman, the Man of Steel.
Wiz: To ensure no questions are left unanswered, we will be acknowledging every official resource for both combatants, though the original writings hold precedence; no mistranslations allowed. Also, as he was retconned and rebuilt in 1986, we will be examining the modern Superman.
Boomstick: Considering Supes pre-'86 could make up new super powers on the fly and destroy entire solar systems by sneezing, probably a good idea. He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.
Title Sequence
ScrewAttack Presents...
In collaboration with:
Kanzenshuu
Superman homepage
The Dao of Dragon Ball
SuperSite.com
Team Four Star
Starring:
"MasakoX"
Animation by Jordan Lange
Theme music by Blake Robinson Synthetic Orchestra
Written and hosted by Ben Singer and Chad James
Directed by Ben Singer
Goku VS Superman
Son Goku
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Makafushigi Adventure! (Instrumental by Takeshi Ike
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Goku is shown jumping upwards into the air at a stump of wood, then hits it, breaking it into smaller, even pieces of wood. He lands in front of the stacked wood after landing on the ground.
Goku: Ke-ah!
Wiz: Kakarot was born to a low-class Saiyan warrior on the planet Vegeta. He narrowly escaped the extinction of his entire race when he was sent to Earth with a single, simple mission...
Boomstick: Destroy everything! Then he conveniently bumped his head and forgot about it all.
Wiz: Dubbed "Goku" by his adopted grandfather, his life revolves around combat. He cares little for anything else, unless food is involved.
Goku: Can I have another bowl, please?
His friends fall over in shock.
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Dragon Soul (Remix) by Kenji Yamamoto
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Boomstick: At 12 years old, he was trained by Master Roshi in Kame-Sennin Ryu, which pushes a person to superhuman levels.
Wiz: Complementing his Saiyan biology, Goku's superhuman strength, speed, and senses skyrocketed. He developed numerous fighting techniques including the fast-moving After-Image and the Dragonthrow, his trademark grapple.
Boomstick: At 15, he was already so powerful that the only worthy teachers left were gods... and a talking cat, but mostly GODS! He was only a kid and his power level was already enormous!
Vegeta: It's over nine thousa—
Boomstick: Not yet!
The episode fast-forwards through the Dragon Ball Z series up until the aformentioned scene.
Boomstick: Okay, now it is.
Nappa: What?! 9,000?!
The sound of a falling piano is heard.
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DragonBall Z by Bruce Faulconer
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Wiz: FALSE! In the Japanese manga, Goku's power level at that time was 8,000. But it doesn't even matter because power levels are absurd! "The entire point of introducing them was to show how unreliable and meaningless they were". [Kanzenshuu] By relying on power levels, the villains constantly underestimated the heroes. Therefore, using them to judge Goku's abilities is pointless. Besides, the Daizenshuu says that—
Boomstick: Dai-what now?
Wiz: The Official Dragon Ball Encyclopedia. It states power levels eventually become immeasurable, not because they are so high they can't be measured, but because the characters, and hopefully the audience, have realized just how futile these numbers are.
Raditz: I'm still 10 times stronger than you are!
Goku: That may be true, but strength isn't the only thing that matters.
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The Dragon Theme by Bruce Faulconer
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Wiz: We cannot judge Goku by his power level, nor can we through power scaling, the theory that he can achieve the same feats as lesser Dragon Ball characters. Goku's abilities are tailored to his personal training and experiences, not to mention anatomy.
Frieza: I can breathe in space and you can't.
Boomstick: However, Goku does have a knack for mimicking ki techniques.
Wiz: "Ki is metaphysical, made up of things such as vigor, courage and being in one's true mind". [Kanzenshuu]
Boomstick: It's basically a kind of natural life force energy and is a fundamental component of Daoist medicine and martial arts. Oh, and uh, it's not magic!
Wiz: Dragon Ball creates a very distinct difference between ki and magic. Ki is dependent on the physical ability of the user.
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Battle Theme by Shunsuke Kikuchi
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Wiz: And magic-users like Babidi are clearly using something different. Goku harnesses and manipulates his ki energy—
Boomstick: —into badass lasers and stuff, like ki blasts, energy barriers, and the Destructo Disc, which he totally stole from Krillin. The Solar Flare blinds opponents and the Spirit Bomb puts energy from other things into a giant death ball... that takes freaking forever to make.
Wiz: And energy taken from sentient beings must be voluntary. The Spirit Bomb is fueled by positive energy which is only effective against those filled with negative energy, AKA evil. In the Super Android 13! film, Goku actually absorbs the ki gathered from the Spirit Bomb, becoming one with it, transforming and manipulating the energy himself.
Boomstick: But his two best moves are the Dragon Fist, where he super-charges his punch with a golden ki dragon, and the one and only Kamehameha, a giant focused beam which every kid in the world has always wanted to do. Don't lie, you've tried it.
Wiz: Goku also uses ki for telekinesis and high-speed flight. He can even sense the power and location of other ki sources and then teleport directly to them with Instant Transmission.
Boomstick: Which is lightspeed!
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Prologue & Subtitle II by Shunsuke Kikuchi
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Goku: You dematerialize and travel as a mass of light.
The sound of a falling piano is heard once again.
Wiz: Again, false. This is another mistake in translation. According to the original manga, "Instant Transmission is... well... instant". [Kanzenshuu] Its only flaw is that it requires concentrated focus.
Goku is seen trying to outspeed a planet-wide explosion caused by Buu, failing to use the technique.
Goku: (in his mind) It's no good! I can't concentrate!
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The Warrior by Hiroshi Takashi
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Wiz: Also, he can read minds.
Boomstick: Wait, what? Is there no limit to this ki thing?
Wiz: There is. Goku draws from a finite pool of ki energy, so to increase his power, Goku perfected the art of Kaio-Ken. This amplifies Goku's ki, multiplying his strength, speed, defense, and so on.
Boomstick: Only one problem: it puts a giant strain on his body and can even kill him.
Footage from Tree of Might is shown, with Goku fighting against Turles.
Goku: Kaio-ken... TIMES 20!!
Wiz: But Goku does not have to rely solely on his ki. He wields the Power Pole, "a magical staff which expands and contracts". [Daizenshuu 7]
Boomstick: When he's hurt, eating a Senzu Bean heals him up. And to get around, he rides the Flying Nimbus, a flying cloud which probably tastes like cotton candy.
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Goku Super Saiyan Theme by Bruce Faulconer
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Wiz: Still, the Kaio-Ken was Goku's trump card for some time until a fateful battle with the tyrant Frieza, who pushed Goku past his limits to achieve the legendary form of Super Saiyan.
Boomstick: There are four different levels of Super Saiyan, each drastically boosting his power.
Wiz: Like the Kaio-ken, each form does burden his body, though Goku has trained to minimize this.
Boomstick: Super Saiyan 3 multiplies the already combined power of Super Saiyan 2 by four, but comes at a horrible price: that hair! Oh, and it pretty much destroys his body while he's using it, but MY GOD, THE HAIR!
Wiz: Fortunately for Goku, the life-sapping Super Saiyan 3 would be trumped by his final transformation: Super Saiyan 4. This form alters his body to better endure the 4000x power increase.
Boomstick: Complete with pink fur and eye shadow. Fear the ultimate form!
Wiz: With each transformation, minus full-power Super Saiyan 1, Goku loses some self-control, becoming more violent and instinct-prone.
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Super Saiyan 3 Power Up by Bruce Faulconer
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Footage of SS4 Goku facing against one of the Shadow Dragons in GT plays on-screen.
Goku: When I'm at this power level, it's hard for me to listen to reason. I just lose control.
Wiz: Goku's greatest strength is his tenacity and never-give-up attitude. "He does not fight to defeat others. He fights to defeat himself." [The Dao of Dragon Ball] However, this may also be his greatest weakness.
Boomstick: He prefers a fair fight, eager to see his opponent's maximum potential.
King Kai: He's about to reach his maximum. This could be your last chance.
Goku: I want him to reach his maximum. I want to fight him when he's at his best!
Wiz: But, when the whole world is at stake, well... hindsight is 20/20.
Boomstick: And although he's more than tough enough to survive in a vacuum, he clearly needs oxygen, so no breathing in space.
Wiz: Plus, well... Goku's not very bright. Despite some basic schooling from Roshi, Goku has never had a day of certified formal education in his life. It took him years just to learn how to drive.
Boomstick: But why the hell would Goku need to drive a car?
Wiz: Even so, Goku understands his weaknesses. To him, a formal education would just be a waste of time. He is already a genius when it comes to martial arts.
Boomstick: And even if he does get the hell beaten out of him, he improves with every fight.
Wiz: And that is what Goku is all about. He thrives on becoming stronger and bursting limits and has overcome every obstacle in his way.
Boomstick: Even marriage.
Wiz: Goku might just be the greatest martial artist in fictional history.
Frieza trembles from the power of Super Saiyan Goku in the great battle of Namek.
Frieza: What.... what are you?
Goku: I am the hope of the universe. I am the answer to all living things that cry out for peace. Ally to good; nightmare to you!
Superman
Mrs. Ross: My son was in the bus. He saw what Clark did.
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Trials by Louis Febre
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Wiz: Kal-El was born to a high-class scientist on the planet Krypton. He narrowly escaped the destruction of his homeworld when his father sent him to Earth with the goal of preserving human life.
Boomstick: Well, what a coincidence... except for the whole saving human life thing. After landing on Earth, he was found and raised by the Kents, who decided to name him Clark. And weren't they surprised when they found out he was an alien with superpowers.
Wiz: After discovering his true heritage, Clark refused to accept his Kryptonian side. He subconsciously developed mental barriers that blocked him from attaining his full power, which he would work to uncover throughout the rest of his life.
Boomstick: Stupid power-limiting brain!
Wiz: After graduating college in two years and traveling the world as a secret superhero, Clark moved to the city of Metropolis as an investigative reporter and donned the red and blue to publicly announce his presence as the Superman, defender of truth, justice and the American way!... until he renounced his American citizenship.
Boomstick: Mild-mannered Clark kept his identity a secret with the brilliant disguise of nerdy glasses and wimpy demeanor...
Superman, as Clark Kent, opens a bottle of champagne, but spills it.
Clark Kent: Oh, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
Boomstick: ...proving that people only see what they want to believe.
Wiz: Boomstick, that's surprisingly profound.
Boomstick: (burps) Since then, his power's been pretty inconsistent, mostly due to the writers doing whatever the hell they please.
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All-Star Superman by Christopher Drake
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Wiz: Well, there is a legitimate explanation: Superman's powers are dependent on the ultra-solar rays of the Sun. By absorbing yellow or blue sunlight, his power rises; however he cannot absorb sunlight from a red star. So, if "you take away a yellow sun, you slowly take away Superman's powers". [Superman Super Site]
Boomstick: He's solar-powered! They call him the world's first superhero but sounds more like the world's first hippie to me.
Wiz: Now, the intensity of solar radiation disperses the further away it gets from its source, so the closer Superman is to the Sun, the more solar radiation he'll absorb.
Boomstick: So he gathers more power the higher he gets? He IS a hippie.
Wiz: In the Justice League series Our Worlds at War, Superman actually spent 15 minutes INSIDE the Sun. When he resurfaced, he was powerful enough to effortlessly move planets.
Boomstick: He can also hear sounds millions of miles away, see through anything but lead, and spot things moving faster than light.
Wiz: He can see at a subatomic level and hear through the vacuum of space... somehow.
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Opening Credits (Crisis on Two Earths) by Christopher Drake
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Wiz: He can even see your soul.
Boomstick: What?!
Wiz: It happened.
Boomstick: Well, weird abilities aside, Superman can freeze his enemies in ice or create hurricanes just by breathing, and to top it all off, he shoots laser beams from his eyes.
Wiz: His heat vision can be expanded to encompass anything within Superman's sight and reach temperatures hotter than the Sun.
Boomstick: He can incinerate entire planets in a staring contest.
Wiz: However, "heat vision drains his power faster than any other ability" [Superman Homepage], especially when he amps it up.
Superman creates a huge beam of heat vision, taking out an army of Doomsday-like creatures.
Wiz: And with precision, heat vision can reach microscopic levels invisible to the human eye.
Superman: Heat vision, focused through your pupils like a scalpel... instant lobotomy.
Superman slaps Manchester Black.
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Superman: The Animated Series Theme by Shirley Walker
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Wiz: Superman can vibrate his body fast enough to phase through attacks, even turn invisible. By vibrating to just under light speed, Superman can use the Infinite Mass Punch. This speed causes the relative mass of his fist to increase immensely and hit with the force of a supernova.
Boomstick: Which explodes at a force of 10 octillion megatons! Thanks, fact-of-the-day calendar.
Wiz: In comparison, this is the Tsar, the most powerful bomb mankind has ever tested: 50 megatons.
Boomstick: So that punch is like 200 septillion super-nukes. That's 24 zeroes, bitches!
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Superman Doomsday Main Title by Robert J.Kral
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Wiz: Superman is not only strong, but a genius with a super-brain that can process information thousands of times faster than an average human. He is capable of strategic fighting, even while traveling eight times the speed of light.
Boomstick: He's an expert in disabling opponents through pressure point combat and once fought demons in Valhalla alongside Wonder Woman and Thor... for 1,000 freaking years!
Wiz: He's even learned to protect his mind from telepathic attacks.
Superman: I heard your telepathic shout before, but my mind is protected from anything deeper by a series of psychic blocks.
Manchester Black: Best I've seen, too.
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A Hall of Heroes by Louis Febre
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Wiz: He also studied two Kryptonian martial arts: Torquasm-Rao and Torquasm-Vo.
Boomstick: Orgasm-what now?
Wiz: Torquasm-Rao is a hard martial art in which Superman enters the theta state, a real-life phenomenon in which a person becomes extremely receptive to information and instinct. Torquasm-Vo is a mental martial art with which Superman can fight off mind domination and illusions or even counterattack.
Boomstick: In order to master all his powers, Superman needed to break through his own self-created mental blocks, like how when he was younger, he believed he needed to eat food and breathe oxygen like humans, when he can really just survive on solar energy alone like some weird plant man.
Wiz: And thanks to some intense training from Mongol II, he managed to tear these barriers down and become the true Superman, capable of amazing feats.
Boomstick: Yeah, like when he obliterated an F5 tornado with a round of applause...
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Superman Theme by John Williams
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Boomstick: Or when he was the filling for a planet sandwich, or held a mini black hole in his hand... oh, or the time he dragged the freaking Earth around. Superman has survived some pretty crazy things. Like when Koldgast hit him with 15 supernovas to the face.
Koldgast: That was like 15 suns exploding in his face!
Boomstick: I just said that!
Wiz: Exaggeration? Maybe, but he has survived other supernovas before. When he takes a hit, his super-dense molecular structure and bio-electric aura protects him and his suit.
Boomstick: Holy crap, he sounds invincible!
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Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Opening Theme by Christopher Drake
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Wiz: Not exactly. His solar energy can be depleted over the course of a battle, if he takes too much damage or remains out of sunlight for too long. This is how the monster Doomsday was able to kill him. Oh, sorry, not kill, put him into a "healing coma".
Boomstick: (coughs) Cop-out! (coughs)
Wiz: He also has several specific weaknesses, like the famous Kryptonite, radioactive fragments of his homeworld which bring him to his knees. "Any prolonged exposure will eventually kill him". [Superman Super Site] He also has no special resistance to magical attacks.
Boomstick: And he always gets all hung up on doing the right thing, even if it makes his life miserable.
Wiz: He does not fight for himself, but to protect others. Even the buildings in Metropolis are more valuable to him than his own life...
Superman punches Shazam into a hospital, the building crumbling down.
Wiz: ... most of the time. The point is, Superman spends more time defending the city than actually improving his own abilities.
Boomstick: But remove all those pesky feelings about saving people and look out!
Superman punches Darkseid through the building wall, right outside he sent him.
Superman: I feel like I live in a world made of cardboard. Always taking constant care not to break something; to break someone. What we have here is a rare opportunity for me to cut loose and show you just how powerful I really am.
Prelude
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set. Let's end this debate once and for all!
Boomstick: IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLE!!!
Death Battle
The scene is set in an average day in Metropolis, when suddenly...
Man: Look! It's a bird!
Man 2: It's a plane!
A plane with a broken wing flies down torwards the city.
Man: It's gonna kill us!
Everyone starts to panic and run away.
Man 3: I hate Mondays!
Superman flies in, then sees the plane.
Superman: (humming Superman theme) Don't worry, folks, this looks like a job for Super— WHOA!
Superman grabs onto the front of the plane and begins steering it away, almost hitting a nearby window cleaner.
Superman: I got it! I got it!
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Earth Music by Bruce Faulconer
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We then cut to a news reporter on TV, who talks about Superman's heroics. At the Kame House, Goku's friends are watching it on a TV.
News Reporter: Earlier today, Superman heroically rescued Metropolis from disaster once again. The man of tomorrow saved a downed airliner which would've crashed-
Krillin: Superman, huh? Wow, he looks really strong.
Vegeta: What, that pretty boy ass clown? Oh please. I could kill him with my eyes closed... even faster than that stupid transforming hedgehog.
Chi-Chi: Just look at him... wearing his underwear on the outside. I bet it chafes...
Goku: Don't be so sure...
Chi-Chi then looks out a window at Goku, who is outside looking at the water.
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Goku & Gohan In The Time Chamber by Bruce Faulconer
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Goku: I sense him. He's strong... stronger than anyone I've ever fought.
Chi-Chi: Are you serious?
Goku then happily picks up Chi-Chi.
Goku: Finally... someone as strong as me!
Vegeta: (off-screen) SCREW YOU!!!
Goku holds up Chi-Chi while spinning in a circle as the two of them laugh.
Master Roshi: I heard he's an alien!
Goku: An alien?
Goku, shocked at the news, accidentally lets go of Chi-Chi, who flies off-screen.
Goku: It's only a matter of time before he destroys the planet!
Goku then gears up for battle.
Goku: Nimbus!
Goku then flies off on his Nimbus from his current location to Superman.
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Prelude and Main Title March by John Williams
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In Metropolis, Superman is standing on top of the Daily Planet when he hears the Nimbus coming from a far distance. He then turns and sees Goku riding the Nimbus, who stops and turns to face him.
Goku: Hey there.
Superman: Uh... hello.
Goku: You look pretty strong. Let's fight!
Superman: Fight? Well, that's not really what I do...
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Hand in Hand Fight by Kenji Yamamoto
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Goku then charges up a ki blast and fires it at Superman, who knocks it away. Superman then flies forward, knocking Goku off the Nimbus. Both then land onto the streets below.
Goku: Oh boy! This is gonna be fun!
Superman: You're insane!
Goku flies forward and punches Superman, then proceeds to go on the offensive, forcing Superman to block his blows until Goku teleports behind him and kicks. Goku then jumps onto the side of a building and flies at Superman, who punches him so hard that he flies through multiple buildings. Superman then flies after him and delivers a fast combo on Goku.
Superman: You're outmatched! Give up!
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Goku Battles 19 by Bruce Faulconer
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After Clark knocks him to the ground, Goku then use his Kaio-Ken technique.
Goku: Kaio-Ken!
Superman: Kaio-what?
Goku punches Superman into the air, flies after him, kicking him further back, then fires another ki blast, which nearly knocks the Man of Steel to the ground. Goku then lands to the ground and fires a large volley of ki blasts at Superman.
Superman: Ah ha!
Having finished scanning the Saiyan's body with his microscopic vision, the Kryptonian uses his super-speed to evade all of the incoming projectiles then suddenly strikes Goku, stunning him. He then proceeds to deliver a large flurry of circling blows to the dazed Goku before his final strike sends him into a wall, paralyzed.
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Chip Off Old Block by John Ottman
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Goku: Wha... what? I... I can't move...
Superman: So... you're an alien too, huh?
Goku: What did you do to me?!
Superman: Pressure points. Didn't work at first, but my X-ray and Microscopic vision let me find your body's weak points. You won't be going anywhere-
Superman is interrupted by Goku using telekinesis to lift up a Senzu upward to his mouth from a pouch full of beans.
Superman: ... what is that?!
Goku then eats the Senzu bean, helping him recover him from his paralysis. He then floats as he holds the bag in his hand.
Goku: Ah... Senzu bean! Want one?
Superman: No.
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Drop In The Bucket by John Ottman
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Superman incinerates the bag with his heat vision.
Superman: I'm ending this... now!
Superman flies towards Goku to punch him, but his punched is stopped by Goku's hand as he becomes Super Saiyan.
Superman: What?!
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Son Goku's Theme by Kenji Yamamoto
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Goku then unleashes a massive combo on Superman and eventually side kicks him far back.
Superman: Okay Blondie! What's going on?!
Goku flies towards Superman, whose attack he anticipates, but when Superman strikes, Goku suddenly disappears. Realizing that Goku was behind him, Superman prepares another punch, but is interrupted by Goku's.
Goku: I... am Son Goku!
Goku punches Superman into the air.
Goku: And I...
Goku flies upward towards above his alien foe.
Goku: ...Am a Super Saiyan!
Goku punches him downward, with the Man of Steel crashing back-first into the top of a building. Goku then prepares his Kamehameha Wave.
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Goku Super Saiyan Theme by Bruce Faulconer
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Goku: Kame... Hame... Haaaaaa!!!
Goku's Kamehameha Wave blasts through what turns out to be the LexCorp building, blowing it up. Afterwards, Superman still stands in the rubble unscathed.
Superman: Well... this might take a while...
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Kryptonite by John Ottman
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Suddenly, Superman begins feeling weak, due to a piece of Kryptonite left over from the remains of LexCorp.
Superman: What? (groans in pain) No... not now...
Goku flies in to attack, but then notices that something is wrong.
Goku: Huh?
Goku then lands to the ground.
Goku: Hey, what are you doing?
Superman: I... no...
Goku: Is that rock hurting you?
Superman: Kryp... tonite. (groans in pain)
Goku then charges up a ki blast and appears to prepare to fire it at Superman, but then switches his target at the piece of Kryptonite, destroying it, helping Superman recover.
Goku: There. Okay, let's go.
Superman: What... why?
Goku: I wanna beat you at your best. It's no fun if it's not fair.
Superman: Gee, thank-
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Hand in Hand Fight by Kenji Yamamoto
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In the middle of his thanks, Goku kicks Superman into the air. Afterwards, Goku and Superman are clashing at super-fast speeds across the entire city. His final strike knocks Superman back and then Goku proceeds to leap forward using two buildings, knocking Superman towards the ground.
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Twist Of Fate by Kenji Yamamoto
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Goku then charges at Superman on foot, using his After-Image Technique to create illusions of himself, who run in a circle around Superman. Unfazed, Superman walks forward and punches, knocking Goku back. The two then zip across the city, trying to catch each other, until Superman sneaks up on Goku, hitting him with a car.
Superman: Next time, watch your blind spot.
Goku then goes Super Saiyan 2, destroying the car.
Superman: Huh... déjà vu.
Goku fires more ki blasts at Superman, who takes them out by using his heat vision. Both fly past each other as Superman uses his heat vision, managing to hit Goku's back.
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Rough Flight by John Ottman
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Superman then rips out a lamp post from the ground and hits Goku with it, knocking him into the air. Goku then takes out his Power Pole and sees the lamp post flying towards him. He swings the pole, knocking the lamp post away, then proceeds to fly towards Superman and unleash a combo on him utilizing it, knocking Superman back.
Superman: That... feels like...
Goku: Power Pole extend!
Superman is suddenly struck by the expanding Power Pole, which forces him into the side of a building. Goku then flies at him with a punch, knocking Superman through the building.
Superman: *groans* Magic.
Goku: The game's not as fun when you're losing, is it?
Superman: Game? You think this is a GAME?! I haven't even begun to play.
Superman then flies into the air and goes off into the distance where there's more sunlight. Goku then focuses, anticipating where Superman will fly to, then uses Instant Transmission.
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Goku & Gohan In The Time Chamber by Bruce Faulconer
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He arrives at a wasteland from the opposite side of the world, where he takes his Power Pole back out, then swings it downward while expanding its size, which hits the flying Superman, knocking him back. Goku then swings his extended Power Pole, which Superman catches with his hand. Superman then slams Goku into the ground with it, then throws the Power Pole far out of the atmosphere. Goku then transforms into Super Saiyan 3.
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Buu Is Fighting by Bruce Faulconer
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Superman: Oh great. Not another-
Superman is interrupted by a punch from Goku, who then delivers a flurry of kicks, and finishes by using his Dragon Throw, grabbing Superman by the legs. He spins, repeatedly knocking Superman into the ground, before throwing him, destroying an entire large rock formation. Superman then flies at Goku on the offensive, with Goku blocking a flurry of punches.
Goku: (thinking) He can even keep up with Super Saiyan 3. What makes him so strong?
Goku teleports and places his hand on Superman's head, trying to read his mind.
Superman: Attacking my mind, huh?
Using his Torquasm-Vo, he resists and knocks Goku back, then strikes him a few times before knocking him into the air, finishing by axe handling Goku to the ground, creating a crater. Goku sees Superman about to fly towards him and tries to retaliate.
Goku: Solar Flare!
The screen goes bright, but Superman is unfazed, holding Goku by the throat.
Superman: My turn.
Having been empowered by the solar energy of Goku's technique, Superman unleashes a huge head-on beam of heat vision where the Saiyan was. But then a strange deformity begins occurring around him.
Superman: I've got a bad feeling about this...
The deformity then begins to conclude, ending with the day turning to night and Super Saiyan 4 Goku appearing before him as lightning strikes in the distance.
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Burn Baby Burn by Mark Snow
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Superman: Here we go again...
Goku: It's over Superman! No one is stronger than Super Saiyan 4, my ultimate form!
Superman: Ultimate form, huh? About time you ran out of hair styles.
Both begin floating upward, then finally fly towards each other. The two clash at unprecedented speeds before Goku does a two-leg kick, knocking Superman down.
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Super Namek Theme by Bruce Faulconer
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Superman then uses his freeze breath to try to halt Goku in his tracks, but Goku manages to make it through and delivers a few kicks that knock him into the ground. Instantaneously, Goku teleports towards Superman, then places his hand by Superman's face as he fires off a ki blast. Superman then begins to reach his limits.
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Ginyu Transformation
by Bruce Faulconer |
Superman: Don't have much left in me. Have to get above those clouds...
Superman flies upward, intending to leave the planet for the Sun. Goku sees this and chases him.
Goku: Oh no, you don't!
Superman then exits the earth towards the Sun as Goku flies upward while preparing a Kamehameha.
Goku: Ka... me... Ha... me... Haaaaaaa!!!
Goku fires his 10x Kamehameha, as Superman turns and fires a huge blast of heat vision towards him. The two beams are at a near-standstill.
Goku: Kai...o...KEEEEN!
Goku's Kamehameha Wave then overpowers the heat vision, pushing back Superman into the Sun. Goku then reverts back to his normal form, exhausted.
Goku: Hah... Phew... That's... it... Good... fight.
As Goku prepares to fly back to Earth, he suddenly senses his opponent.
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Goku's Spirit Bomb by Bruce Faulconer
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Goku: *gasp* Wait... he's... there's no way... he's still alive! It's... it's the Sun. He's using the Sun! But I'm... I'm drained.
Goku then raises his hands upward.
Goku: Sun! Lend me your energy!
As Goku is creating a Spirit Bomb, Superman is inside the Sun, absorbing its energy. As Superman begins to exit the Sun, Goku goes Super Saiyan and absorbs the Spirit Ball's energy.
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The Fortress Falls by Louis Febre
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Goku then uses this energy to create a large fiery beam of ki energy, which Superman flies towards. With his power near its maximum, Superman flies straight through the beam and slams Goku into the core of the planet. Goku then goes Super Saiyan 4 and flies towards Superman with one last attack.
Goku: Dragon... FIIIST!
Superman then prepares his Infinite Mass Punch as the two connect. The two opposing forces are so powerful that the entire Earth is obliterated in an instant. Goku screams as he is disintegrated by the Infinite Mass Punch as the screen goes white. Superman is shown floating in space, appearing lifeless. Then thanks to the Sun's energy, Superman opens his eyes, having survived.
Superman flies away, as Goku's boot is shown floating in space.
Results
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Superman Theme (Metal Version) by Marioz P
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Boomstick: It's over! It's finally over! We never have to hear about it again!
Wiz: Indeed. Superman may not be as tenacious as Goku, but sometimes, tenacity only prolongs the inevitable.
Boomstick: Superman's power's insane. He can even patch up holes in reality with just his own static electricity.
Wiz: Goku did not understand Superman's connection to the Sun and would not think to teleport him to a red star. Even if he did figure it out, he would run the risk of teleporting him to a blue star, which actually increases Superman's power.
Boomstick: And if Goku destroyed the Sun, the supernova would blast all the way past Mars and incinerate him.
Wiz: So, it ultimately comes down to who is stronger, faster, and tougher.
Wiz: The force needed to move an object out of the Sun's orbit by 1% is about 1,000 times less than the object's mass. The Earth weighs in just under 6.6 sextillion tons. This means that Superman is strong enough to move 6.6 quintillion tons.
Boomstick: But since his solar power can rise infinitely, this is nowhere near his maximum strength.
Leo Quintum: You're lifting 200 quintillion tons. That's three times your record.
Wiz: While being timed by Max Lord, Superman flew to the Sun and back in less than two minutes. That's 9.4 billion kilometers per hour.
Boomstick: Not to mention he was fighting Wonder Stripper the whole time.
Wiz: True, so it's likely he can go faster. According to Batman, he can fly at least 17 billion kilometers per hour.
Boomstick: And nobody argues with Batman!
Boomstick: The Man of Steel can survive the impact of multiple supernovas, each with about 10 octillion megatons of force.
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Yobi Samasa Re Ta Toshi by Kenji Yamamoto
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Wiz: So, Superman's feats and skills are definitively measured. However, Goku's are not, and are difficult to judge. Not only does Dragon Ball heavily abuse cinematic time, but Goku's final adventures in Dragon Ball GT are incredibly inconsistent due to his untimely transformation into a child.
From the wish Pilaf made to the Black-Star Dragon Balls, Goku is accidentally turned from an full-grown Saiyan to a Saiyan child.
Goku: Wow, the room got a lot bigger somehow.
Wiz: As ki is dependent on the physical body, his child form likely could not handle his own ki, sending his power into flux.
Goku: It can't take it. It's too weak. My older body was more developed.
Boomstick: And obviously, we're not using future Goku 'cause that would require a ridiculous amount of assumptions. Not to mention we'd have to use future Superman, who's pretty much God! So, like Superman, we need to judge Goku in his prime.
Wiz: After experimenting with dozens of different theories, we discovered an iron-clad method to finding Goku's limits, which we call the Gravity Formula, based around his training in increased gravity. Due to his style of training and Saiyan heritage, Goku increases his abilities proportionate to the amount of force he trains under.
King Kai: Saiyans are born with the unique ability to fight anywhere.
Wiz: While in base form, Goku could lift just under 40 tons. This is equivalent to 586 times normal Earth gravity, which we will use in the Gravity Formula along with the Super Saiyan multipliers to calculate Goku's maximum potential.
(Note: The Gravity Formula goes as follows: 1g of base form × 586 × 50 × 2 × 4 × 10)
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Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku (Remix) by Kenji Yamamoto
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Boomstick: Multiplying the 40 tons by the Super Saiyan forms means he can lift up to 160,000 tons in Super Saiyan 4, strong enough to pick up a continent... or my ex-wife. Ha ha!
Boomstick: Right after Goku trained on King Kai's planet, which has gravity 10 times stronger than Earth's, he flew across Snake Way Road as fast as possible to save his friends. It took him 28 hours; impressive since that's 1,000,000 kilometers long.
Wiz: Except it's filled with curves and Goku flew straight over it, so how far did he actually travel? By comparing Goku's height to a single spike, we can measure each curve. We can then remove those curves from the overall length. So it turns out that Goku actually flew 307,000 kilometers, nearly 11,000 kilometers per hour.
Boomstick: To see how fast his base form is at the end of the series, we run the Snake Way number through the gravity formula to find that his top speed clocks in at over 2 and a half billion kilometers per hour, over 2 times the speed of light.
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Dangerous Mind by Hiroshi Takaki
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Wiz: We can determine Goku's durability through this bomb, which the brilliant Dr. Gero designed to kill Goku at age 25, when his maximum potential was Kaio-Ken x4.
Bulma: That was intended for Goku.
Android 16: It was intended to be a last resort.
Boomstick: Scans of the bomb display a TNT measurement of 657. Bulma says the bomb could destroy the Earth, so this is likely measured in quadrillion megatons, since it takes at least 53 quadrillion megatons of force to destroy the Earth.
Wiz: So in his final form, Goku can survive up to nearly 35 sextillion megatons.
Boomstick: Goku doesn't rely solely on his physical abilities. He amplifies his strength and durability with ki.
Wiz: But even though his ki reserves cannot be measured, we can determine his maximum output. See, his ki attacks do not force him backward unless he allows them to.
Boomstick: Even when firing upward at full power, the ground beneath him remains untouched.
Wiz: Therefore, according to physics, his maximum output is at most equal to the amount of force he can withstand.
Boomstick: Luckily, we just calculated that with the Gero bomb.
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A Hall of Heroes by Louis Febre
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Wiz: All right, now that we've determined Goku's maximum potential, let's compare it to Superman's.
Goku: 160,000 tons (w/o ki) | Superman: >6.6 quintillion tons
Goku: 2.5 billion km/h | Superman: >9.4 billion km/hr
Goku: 34.7 sextillion MT | Superman: >10 octillion MT
Boomstick: HO-HO-HOLY SHIT! Not even close.
Wiz: Now, we can keep throwing feats and equations around, but in the end, numbers cannot measure what Goku and Superman are capable of. They are both ultimate heroes, solutions to daunting problems and achievers of the impossible. The difference is at the core of their character. Goku has never been invincible; he has very clear limits and must overcome those limits to solve the problems at hand. That's the whole point. On the other hand, Superman's story is not about the fight to become the best, but of an immigrant facing the challenge of home versus heritage. After accepting his alien side, Superman has reached his full potential, which, under the endless power of the Sun, is essentially limitless. In short, "Superman is as strong as he needs to be". [Superman Homepage] So what happens when you pit a man with the power to break any limits against another who has no limits in the first place? Well, only one has limits to give at all.
Boomstick: Goku just Kaio-can't keep up with the Man of Steel.
We cut to the "Superman" winner card.
Wiz: The winner is Superman.
Original Track
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Goku vs Superman - Battle by Blake Robinson
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Composition
The track for this episode is "Goku VS Superman - Battle" by Blake Robinson. It is an epic orchestral track that is based on motifs and themes from Dragon Ball and DC Comics. Unlike most other original tracks, this one is used exclusively for the intro of the episode and not the battle. It also gets reused briefly in the post-analysis for Goku VS Superman 2.
Cover Art
The cover art simply depicts silhouettes of Superman flying towards Super Saiyan Goku against a background of muted navy blue explosion rays.
Trivia
Production
- The connections between Goku and Superman are that they are both beloved, god-like protagonists and considered to be some of the most powerful physical characters in fictional history, as well as the most iconic of their respective mediums (manga/anime and comic books, respectively). Both are amongst the survivors of an alien race (Saiyans and Kryptonians, respectively) and were born to notable fathers who were respected members of said race but were on the opposite spectrum of classes from each other (the low-class Saiyan warrior Bardock and the high-class scientist Jor-El, respectively). Both would be sent from their dying planet (Planet Vegeta and Krypton, respectively) to Earth where they took on the mission of preserving it, and would later be adopted by a man/family who taught them the values of their powers and abilities (Grandpa Gohan and the Kent family, respectively), who would also give them alternate identities to differentiate themselves from their original names (Kakarot was named "Son Goku", and Kal-El was named "Clark Kent") and later inspire the names of their sons (Son Gohan and Jonathan Kent, respectively). Both practice styles of martial arts that involve channeling life energy through their bodies (Kame-Sennin Ryu and ki for Goku and Torquasm-Rao and Shreearr for Superman) and learned to enter a state of heightened mental control (Ultra Instinct and the theta state, respectively), which lets them move and fight without thinking. Both were also the founders of teams made for the purpose of protecting their new home of Earth (the Dragon Team/Z-Fighters and the Justice League, respectively), with whom they have fought against alien invaders (Frieza and Brainiac, respectively), genetically enhanced monsters (Cell and Doomsday, respectively), childish yet dangerous supernatural entities (Majin Buu and Mister Mxyzptlk, respectively), antagonistic members of their own species (Raditz and Zod, respectively), literal gods (Beerus and Darkseid, respectively), and evil versions of themselves from alternate universes (Goku Black and Ultraman, respectively). Both of them also married a human woman and started a family with them (Chi-Chi and Lois Lane, respectively), developed a close relationship with a human martial artist (Krillin and Batman, respectively), powerful green aliens from another planet (Piccolo and Martian Manhunter, respectively), and even a friendly rivalry with an ally of their team (Vegeta and the Flash, respectively). Both also use the word "Super" in their titles (Goku's Super Saiyan transformations and Superman, respectively).
- At 32 minutes and 35 seconds, this is the longest episode of Death Battle to date.
- This episode also holds the longest fight animation in the show, clocking in at 10 minutes and 29 seconds.
- This is the most viewed video on the entire DEATH BATTLE! channel, with over 47 million views.
- This is the first episode to show a post-fight animation after the battle.
- This is also the only Season 1 episode to do so.
- This is the only episode so far with its own unique intro and intro theme.
- This is the final episode to use Mortal Kombat's FIGHT! and Street Fighter III's K.O.! sound effects. In all future episodes, both would be done by Death Battle's own announcer.
- This was the first episode to release previews of the combatants' analyses prior to its release, as portions of Goku and Superman's analyses were uploaded early to stir up hype for the episode. However, they have since been delisted and are currently lost.
- The battle was originally intended to be released on December 21st, 2012, the final day of the Mayan Calendar, which resulted in some people believing that date was the one the Mayans predicted was the end of the world, explaining why Goku and Superman destroy the Earth at the end of the fight. The Mayans were even used in the advertising for the episode. However, due to issues with the animation, the episode was pushed back to January 10th, 2013.
- This battle was originally going to have a scene set in Superman's mind where he used Torquasm-Vo to counter Goku's attempts to read his mind.
- The original script for this episode was put at 50 minutes long. However, Chad James, the voice of Boomstick, lost his voice during recording, and so this episode was trimmed and reworked to a much more watchable half-hour. Much of what was cut was revisited in the sequel.
- Goku's loss is one of the most controversial ones in Death Battle history. After the fight premiered, the then-new Dragon Ball films Battle of Gods and Resurrection 'F' were released, which gave Goku two new forms: Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue. This resulted in people requesting a rematch with these forms. Ben and Chad originally stated that they had no interest in doing it and didn't think it made that big of a difference. However, they eventually did make a rematch.
- This rematch was teased multiple times before it was officially announced.
- In Kirby VS Majin Buu, there was an advertisement that played for a discounted Super Saiyan God Goku Funko Pop that was voiced by Lawrence Simpson, angry at Ben, saying his new form could beat Superman and references the angry comments that spawned from the original episode's outcome. Ben is also wearing a T-shirt with Goku and Superman fighting during this ad.
- In the livestream of Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2015), there was a teaser of Goku in his Super Saiyan God form.
- In Chuck Norris VS Segata Sanshiro, when the black hole the combatants create shows a montage of past episodes, a glimpse can be seen of Super Saiyan God Goku punching Superman.
- In Solid Snake VS Sam Fisher, Super Saiyan God Goku can be seen on a computer screen when Sam Fisher is getting the data.
- This rematch was teased multiple times before it was officially announced.
- On the subject of "bias towards DC", Ben Singer and Chad James both stated that they prefer Goku and dislike Superman, but that they had to put aside their personal beliefs on the characters to determine the victor, which they revealed on an episode of Side Scrollers.
- Deadpool made a reference to this belief in Deadpool VS Deathstroke, where he referred to this episode as "one of the most biased fanboy videos ever."
- This episode originally wasn't going to be the Season 1 Finale. As part of the original planned 26 episodes, this would have been the penultimate episode of Season 2, with Mario VS Sonic (2011) being the Season 1 Finale and Chuck Norris VS Segata Sanshiro being the Season 2 Finale. However, during the production of Mario VS Sonic, Ben Singer decided to forgo the planned seasonal format (though it would later be readopted, starting with Season 3).[1]
- In Superman's analysis preview, regarding Superman's weakness to magic, Boomstick stated "So if I had a magic wand, Superman couldn't stop me." This line does not appear in the final episode.
- During the battle, Goku in Super Saiyan 4 utilizes Kaio-Ken, which had never been done in Dragon Ball Z or GT, and was at the time unique to Death Battle.
- Goku did technically utilize both the Super Saiyan and the Kaio-Ken at one point. However, it was in an anime-exclusive arc and was only utilized in the Other World Tournament.
- In Dragon Ball Super, Goku would officially utilize Kaio-Ken while in a Super Saiyan form.
- An unofficial reanimation of this episode's fight made by a collaboration of fans was made for the 10th anniversary of Death Battle, which was acknowledged by the show's creators.
- On November 20th, 2023, after Goku VS Superman (2023) was revealed at the end of Rick Sanchez VS The Doctor, this episode was retroactively retitled as "Goku VS Superman 1 (2013) The Original Classic", likely as a reference to how the Death Battle community puts it in such high regard, even years after its release.
- The tagline was also changed during this time to one shared with the second episode: "This episode is outdated & inaccurate. See the all new Goku VS Superman on Dec 4, 2023." After the episode's release, the descriptions were updated to "This episode is outdated. See the all new one here:" with a link to the episode.
- This is the first episode to have been considered the #1 most requested one in Death Battle history when it was announced, with the next two being Thanos VS Darkseid and Galactus VS Unicron.
Easter Eggs
- The dubbed Dragon Ball Z scene at the start of the animation is based on TeamFourStar's Dragon Ball Z Abridged series, with all of the Dragon Ball characters who appeared in this episode having been voiced by their respective voice actors from DBZA.
- After Goku transforms and shouts "Kaio-Ken!", Superman proceeds to state "Kaio-What?" before getting hit. This is a reference to the running gag in Dragon Ball Z Abridged, where Goku's opponents show confusion by saying the same phrase.
Errors
- In Goku's post-battle analysis regarding speed, Goku's base speed is listed as 64,343,057 km/hr, which is greater than his SSJ1 speed (32,171,528.5) and exactly identical to his SS2 speed.
- By dividing Goku's SSJ1 speed by 50, his base form's speed should have been around 1 million km/hr.
Other
- This is the first Anime/Manga VS Comic Book-themed episode, with the next 15 being Goku VS Superman 2, Android 18 VS Captain Marvel, Carnage VS Lucy, Optimus Prime VS Gundam, Mob VS Tatsumaki, Genos VS War Machine, Venom VS Crona, Hulk VS Broly, Goku Black VS Reverse-Flash, Saitama VS Popeye, Thor VS Vegeta, Magneto VS Tetsuo, Trunks VS Silver, Frieza VS Megatron, and Goku VS Superman (2023).
- This is the first time that the Comic Book character wins, with the next 10 being Goku VS Superman 2, Optimus Prime VS Gundam, Mob VS Tatsumaki, Genos VS War Machine, Goku Black VS Reverse-Flash, Saitama VS Popeye, Thor VS Vegeta, Magneto VS Tetsuo, Trunks VS Silver, and Goku VS Superman (2023).
- This is the first Dragon Ball VS DC-themed episode, with the next three being Goku VS Superman 2, Goku Black VS Reverse-Flash, and Goku VS Superman (2023).
- This is the first DC VS non-Marvel-themed episode, with the next 11 being Goku VS Superman 2, Joker VS Sweet Tooth, Raven VS Twilight Sparkle, Ben 10 VS Green Lantern, Black Canary VS Sindel, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, Flash VS Sonic, Goku Black VS Reverse-Flash, Harley Quinn VS Jinx, SpongeBob VS Aquaman, and Goku VS Superman (2023).
- This is the second episode to be redone later in the series, after Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (2010), and with the next two being Mario VS Sonic (2011) and Link VS Cloud (2012).
- This is the first episode to feature planetary destruction, with the next nine being Chuck Norris VS Segata Sanshiro, Thanos VS Darkseid, Wario VS King Dedede, Beerus VS Sailor Galaxia, Hulk VS Broly, Saitama VS Popeye, Frieza VS Megatron, Goku VS Superman (2023), and Galactus VS Unicron.
- This is the first episode to end the fight with planetary destruction, with the next three being Wario VS King Dedede, Frieza VS Megatron, and Goku VS Superman (2023).
- Excluding homages or motifs present in a custom fight track, this is the first episode to play music from the loser's series during the post-analysis, with the next two being Goku VS Superman 2 and Power Rangers VS Voltron.
- WatchMojo.com ranked this episode at #1 on their "Top 10 Screw Attack: Death Battle Episodes" list.